Providing care for children of key workers

Following the announcement regarding school closures, there is a need to provide childcare services to ensure the continuation of frontline services.

We have put measures in place to open a limited number of our schools to provide care for children of key workers.

It is vitally important that parents follow Government advice and keep their children at home where possible to help contain the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).

If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and your child cannot stay at home, then your childcare will be prioritised.

Health and social care

Education and childcare

Key public services

Local and national government

Food and other necessary goods

Public safety and national security

Transport

Utilities, communication and financial services

The Welsh Government has launched a coronavirus childcare assistance scheme to give critical workers free childcare for 0-3 year-olds and to support vulnerable children during the coronavirus pandemic. Further information below.

If you are a key worker and require childcare please complete the booking form below. A confirmation email will then be sent to you to confirm your child / children has a place. It is very important that parents do not turn up at the hub locations if they have not received a confirmation email from us.

You should only book your children into the hubs to cover your working hours; and if your children cannot be cared for by a spouse or other family member. These hubs have been provided for critical workers only to ensure essential frontline services can continue during the coronavirus pandemic. Continued misuse of the childcare hubs could result in places being withdrawn.

It is necessary to complete a booking form weekly to request childcare provision for the following week. Please see below timetable for applications.

Dates being applied for

Applications open

Applications close

Notification e-mails sent

Monday 01/06/20 – Friday 05/06/20

Friday 22/05/20 at 5pm

Wednesday 27/05/20 at 5pm

As soon as possible after the closing date

Monday 08/06/20 – Friday 12/06/20

Friday 29/05/20 at 5pm

Wednesday 03/06/20 at 5pm

As soon as possible after the closing date

Monday 15/06/20 – Friday 19/06/20

Friday 05/06/20 at 5pm

Wednesday 10/06/20 at 5pm

As soon as possible after the closing date

Hubs with no bookings by 5pm on the Wednesday will not open on those days the following week.

To cancel, please send a reply to your confirmation email as soon as possible. Unfortunately, an increasing number of children are failing to attend despite places being booked which means we have to send staff home, creating extra work and causing unnecessary stress.If you have any queries, please send an email to the address on your confirmation email (ECSCommunications@carmarthenshire.gov.uk). Please include your contact number as we may respond by email or telephone.

The Welsh Government has announced that it is providing funding to all local authorities in Wales to support the cost of childcare for pre-school children of parents whose jobs are critical to Wales’ response to COVID-19.

They have a child, or children, of pre-school age; andThey are a critical worker;

It is important that parents follow Government advice and keep their children at home where possible to help contain the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19). However, if you are a critical worker, and your child cannot stay at home, then your childcare will be prioritised.

Parents should only apply for childcare to cover their working hours; and if the child/children cannot be cared for by a spouse or other family member. Evidence of eligibility of critical worker status will be required as part of the application process, for example, a letter from your employer, your work ID card, or payslip. All parents, including those who already have a childcare provider in place, must complete the online application form on a fortnightly basis.Applicants will receive an email to confirm their eligibility. Please also continue to book childcare through your chosen provider as normal. You will be asked by the childcare provider for a copy of your confirmation email and letter. To find childcare providers that are open to critical workers during the coronavirus pandemic please visit the Family Information Service website.For vulnerable children, please visit the Family Information Service website or email ChildrenInfo@Carmarthenshire.gov.ukFor any further information or queries please email C-CASApplication@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Please note that the scheme is for children aged 0-3 only. Parents with children aged four must apply for a place in one of the childcare hubs.

Do not gather at entrances or in playgrounds and practice social distancing at all timesPlease make sure children are in clean clothes as far as possible (cleaning clothes at 60oC may be of benefit)Children should not bring in items from home, for example, toys, books or phones/tablets for hygiene reasons Do not send your children in if they are unwell. Please follow the Covid-19 guidance from Public Health Wales. If any of your family have symptoms, please self-isolate for 14 days. Good behaviour is essential to the smooth running of the hubs and any poor pupil behaviour will not be tolerated. It is important that any incidents of poor behaviour are managed safely in line with social distancing rules and without putting staff and other pupils’ health at risk. As a result, persistent incidents of poor behaviour may result in the child losing their place at the hub.You should only book your children into the hubs to cover your working hours; and if your children cannot be cared for by a spouse or other family member. These hubs have been provided for critical workers only to ensure essential frontline services can continue during the coronavirus pandemic. Continued misuse of the childcare hubs could result in places being withdrawn.If you need to cancel a booking you have made, please email us as soon as possible at ECSCommunications@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

We have set up three strategic care hubs across the county to provide care and to trial and further refine our approach before it is rolled out to additional communities on Wednesday, March 25.

Resources have been focused on implementing a graduated approach to ensure robust, sustainable and resilient arrangements for the longer-term, in the event that closures continue after the planned Easter break.

Following advice from Public Health Wales and Welsh Government we are minimising social contact to protect our children, young people and staff, and lower the risk of spreading the virus. Parents are advised to keep their children home whenever possible and as such we are keeping numbers in educational or childcare settings to the minimum possible whilst prioritising care for the children of doctors, nurses, midwives, social care staff and paramedics in the first instance.

Where we have capacity, it has been possible to include care workers. We appreciate that this approach might not meet all needs at this point in time, but we aim to meet demand by Wednesday as further care hubs open. We ask for people’s understanding in that we are working to help as many people as possible whilst considering the Government’s advice.

Applications open every Friday at 5pm to request childcare for the following week and close at 5pm on the following Wednesday. Confirmation e-mails will be issued on Friday. If you have not received an email confirmation, please check your email junk folder. Bookings are being taken for one week at a time in order to accommodate different shift patterns etc.

Unfortunately, we are unable to consider any applications made after the deadline. There has been a significant increase in demand for places at our hubs and we must make sure they are staffed sufficiently. The safety of both staff and pupils is vital and has to be our main priority

We have received some offers of kind donations of food and toys etc to our care hubs from well-meaning members of the public. Whilst we appreciate these kind gestures, unfortunately we are unable to accept them for health and safety reasons in relation to coronavirus. We have strict social distancing and hygiene measures in place at our childcare hubs and we must adhere to these in order to protect both staff and children during this time.

Please also be assured that the children are well provided for with breakfast, lunch and snacks provided, and have access to a range of resources at the schools.

We have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown by our communities and we would like to thank everyone for their support.

This will help you to decide whether you should send your child to the care hub in the first place; it also advises on how to travel there safely and reminds parents not to congregate at the gates or door.

You can also help by doing your best to ensure that children are in clean clothes as far as possible (cleaning clothes at 60oC may be of benefit); and that they do not bring in items with them from home, for example, toys, books, phones/tablets etc.

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